Let the Fates Decide
by sarses
Summary: Continues after HBP. After the final battle Hermione wakes up in St. Mungos, only to discover both Harry and Ron are still unconsious. Will not be posting here anymore, see inside chapter 4 for a link to where the rest of the story will be.
1. The Hunt for the Final Horcrux

Authors Note: I own nothing except for my plot :)

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They had been camped out in a dark, dingy, mouldy shack for three weeks now. Their hands and faces were caked with dirt, but they had never been as happy as they were at that moment. It was not the time, however, to act on what had made them so happy. They needed a good night's sleep or the situation they were placing themselves in the following morning would be much worse than it had to be. Two bodies laid snuggled together on the floor. A pile of bushy brown hair belonged to one, while the other, fiery red and screaming for attention, was wild and crazy. The pair looked so peaceful in their slumber with absolutely no worries or stress on their faces and the fear of impending doom completely removed from their features. A boy with black raven hair, and a peculiar scar who was the age of seventeen sat there and smiled down at them. It was the first time in a long time he felt any desire to smile. Watching how peaceful his friends looked made him happier than the richest man in the world. The safety and wellbeing of others, especially his close friends is what kept him going, he had to make the World a safer place for them, for their future.

After watching his friends sleep with complete ease, he went back to mapping out the strategy for the following morning, making sure it was fool proof. Although there was no guarantee their plans would work, victory for their side was sure to trigger a battle of immense proportions. He knew that could very well be the last night of his life, that morning could be his downfall, yet he felt oddly calm. Although the plan for the morning was a complete secret, many would be immediately called into action to protect the world if all went as planned. Harry Potter had found the final Horcrux.

The sixth Horcrux was not Nagini nor was it Harry himself as he had once believed. It was something no one would have ever expected, created on that famous night so many years before at the end of the first war. It was Harry's baby blanket.

Sneaking around at Godric's Hollow would have been far too simple, for they had already tried that unsuccessfully. The small cottage was in relatively good condition for what had occurred there. The years where the cottage had not been used were visible as the two story cottage was unkempt looking. Voldemort had already become aware that five Horcruxes had been found and destroyed, taking the forms of the Tom Riddle's journal, Gaunt's ring, Helga Hufflepuff's cup, Rowena Ravenclaw's quill, and unfortunately for Harry, Godric Gryffindor's sword. The sword had come as a surprise because it had been in front of them for so many years. How it was turned into a Horcrux, was not known for sure, but they suspected Voldemort did it when he had met with Dumbledore so many years before. Harry believed that Voldemort had trapped the soul in another item and somehow managed to release it into the sword while he was at Hogwarts requesting to become a teacher.

The problem Harry and the others were up against was getting into Godric's Hollow while it was being guarded by fifty Death Eaters. Their strategy had taken weeks of deliberation and careful planning and it had all come down to something so incredibly simple. Polyjuice potion. Harry, Ron and Hermione were going to sneak into the house, stun three Death Eaters, hide their unconscious bodies, and take their forms for easy access to the sixth Horcrux. They decided to attack during the day because it was unexpected, and it would be easier to see who they were fighting in the day.

Harry suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Hermione standing before him.

"Hermione… you need your sleep."

"No Harry, you need yours more. You haven't slept in days, which is enough to slow down your reflexes. Go get some sleep, I'll keep watch," she argued.

"No. I can't sleep," he responded.

"Harry you must!"

"No."

"Fine. I'm staying up with you and for goodness sake Harry, this isn't healthy!"

Neither spoke, and although they were best friends, the thought of the following morning had managed to take the words out of them.

"Ron's asked me to marry him if we get through the war," Hermione muttered quietly.

"That's fantastic Mione! I hope you said yes," Harry replied.

"I did."

And that's where that conversation ended. The sun was coming up and that meant the day they had been planning for so long had finally come. It was the final step to make Voldemort mortal once again, and in mere hours, they would know if their efforts had worked. Hermione quickly woke Ron up while Harry conjured up some breakfast; Bacon, Eggs, and Toast. Ron quickly let go to fill his plate, and after taking four servings, Harry and Hermione stared at him with odd expressions. It was Hermione who finally said something.

"Ron! Honestly, do you really need to take that much food?" she exclaimed.

"WHAT? For all you know this could be my last meal!"

"RON DON'T YOU EVER SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT," Harry snapped.

"I know Harry, its just I need to have a sense of humour about this. I am hungry, and well it's true this could be my last meal, I want to enjoy it as if it was." Ron said looking down at his plate as he moved the food around with his fork.

Hours later, Harry, Ron and Hermione were all equipped and ready to head out; each carrying a flask of polyjuice potion and invisibility cloaks borrowed from the Order.

"Now remember, we apparate into the woods near Godrics Hollow. Be quick, be silent," Harry stated with determination

A moment later the three of them appeared in the woods behind a small cottage. As they silently walked towards the structure, they spotted several Death Eaters standing guard outside. It would be difficult manoeuvring around them because of the daylight, but Harry soon found his diversion. He slowly picked up a large rock from the ground and launched it towards in the opposite direction from where they were standing. The death eaters took the bait, and began searching for the source of the noise.

It was all Harry could do not to laugh; the Death Eaters had been stupid for leaving their post, but they were all quite grateful their little distraction had worked. As they slowly made their way into the cottage, they kept their eyes open for any Death Eaters to stun and capture. They immediately came across Bellatrix Lestrange, and with a silent _Stupefy_, she dropped to the ground and was stuffed into the nearest closet. Hermione shed her invisibility cloak and assumed Bellatrix's appearance. Hermione, having taken the form of a more senior (and more competent) Death Eater, was assigned to retrieve the blanket. The next two to come across the three teenagers were Crabbe and Goyle. The two proved to be quite easy to put to sleep. Standing guard at the door to what used to be baby Harry's nursery was Peter Pettigrew. He trembled at the site of Bellatrix.

"Move aside Wormtail. The Dark Lord needs me to inspect the Horcrux to make sure that no one has tampered with it. The final battle is near and he wants to be sure that it is safe."

Pettigrew looked like he had something to say on the matter, but he allowed her to pass into the room.

Hermione walked into the small room, and felt her heart breaking. Although this was where the final Horcrux was being kept, it had also once been the where Harry spent the first year of his life. She calmly walked up to the blanket and picked it up with trembling hands. Utilizing the galleon she charmed in their fifth year for the DA, Hermione signalled Harry and Ron letting them know it was time to apparate out. Harry and Ron received the apparition signal while standing outside the door, just in case, after they had dismissed Wormtail for a break from standing on guard.

A few hours later the dark mark once again rose over the small cottage in Godrics Hollow, this time however, in it lay the body of the Potter's betrayer, killed in the same manner they had been murdered those many years before. Peter Pettigrew was dead.

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	2. The Battle Begins

Authors Note: own nothing except the plot. I also what to thank my Beta Mabel! Thanks so much for putting up with me!

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Once again, the trio had been successful at capturing and destroying one of Voldemort's Horcrux. Six had been destroyed and only one more remained. The small sliver that resided inside Voldemort himself.

Since Dumbledore's death, Harry had taken over the leadership of Order of the Phoenix and had called a meeting as soon as the Horcrux was destroyed. Everyone attended; new and old members. Everyone looked scared and nervous, yet still determined. All of the Order's weapons and equipment were at Hogwarts, and all students who were not willing or able to fight were given portkeys to a safe haven located in France. Once there, Madame Maxime would provide shelter for the students at Beauxbatons.

Meanwhile, Madame Pomfrey was prepared with potions, spell books, and many the entire hospital wing at Hogwarts to take in the casualties of the upcoming war. Molly and Ginny Weasley would be helping her with those who needed it.

As the sun went down on that fateful day, everyone looked anxious as they waited for the final battle to begin. Everything was ready, and everyone was huddled in little groups with their families and their friends, all trying to block out imminent thoughts of war. Harry stood in the middle of the room looking around at all the people crowded together in the Great Hall knowing very well it might be the last time he saw them. Hermione and Ron sat in a corner deep in conversation, and when they saw Harry watching them, they immediately beckoned him over. The three friends sat down and spoke about nothing at first, each deep in their own thoughts and all very nervous for what they were about to do.

"So I suppose this could be the last time the three of us sit together," Harry said looking down.

"Yeah mate… I guess you're right," Ron solemnly agreed.

Hermione looked at the two boys in front of her and burst into tears. She had tried to be brave and strong for so long that it welled up inside her ready to burst in an instant. As Harry and Ron tried to calm her down, flashes of light began to make their way over top of the Forbidden Forest. The enchanted ceiling in the Great Hall had streaks of red, green blue and purple as it is enchanted to appear as the sky would. People looked up to the ceiling and stared, transfixed with fear of what was about to come.

"May I have everyone's attention please," Remus Lupin stood up and spoke. "The battle will be upon us within minutes, please break off into your squadrons."

There were six different squadrons in their mission, each serving a different purpose. Harry and Remus had sat down weeks ago, for about two days to designate the squadron leaders, and who was to be in them. The first was the medical squadron, those who would be recovering bodies and transporting the injured to Madame Pomfrey, her assistants and the other Healers. This squadron was commanded by Hermione. The second was the aerial squadron who would be attacking from above on broomsticks as well as scanning the battle from a bird's view. This squadron was commanded by Ron. The third squadron was the first wave of the ground assault, led by Kingsley Shacklebolt. Fourth, was the second wave of the ground assault led by Remus Lupin. Fifth was the third wave of the ground assault led by Tonks and sixth was the remainder of the aurors whose job it was to ensure that Harry got the chance to battle Voldemort alone. Harry would be hidden among the ranks of the sixth squadron and when the time was right, he would separate to face the evil wizard.

An explosion interrupted the silence on the grounds of Hogwarts, and it immediately became clear that the war beginning. It was the signal for the airborne squadron to take action. This also signalled the first wave of the ground assault to take their positions.

The entire scene before them quickly became a nightmare. Dementors, trolls, giants, dragons, and hundreds of Death Eaters flooded the school grounds. The Forbidden Forest caught fire and the heat from the blaze was so unbearable that fighting near it became a hazard. Thick smoke immediately dispersed into the sky combining with the miserable images emanating from the Dementors to effectively block out the rays of moonlight that had served as their only light source. As the first squadrons went into action, many wizards from both sides began to fall with a menagerie of spells blazing in the smoky air. Bodies lay tangled on the ground, many so grotesque that they were difficult to look at.

Ron felt tense. He knew that they had to stop the dragons, but due to their magical hides, the task seemed almost impossible.

"Everybody listen up, we have to take the Horntail down! On the count of three, everyone use the killing curse!" he yelled at his squadron over the explosions.

"One, Two, Three!"

"AVADA KEDAVARA!" All of the members of the squadron despised having to do this, however there was really no choice as the magical properties of dragons, made them impossible to banish

The brightest green light they had ever seen flashed in front of their eyes and the dragon immediately fell motionless to the ground. The remainder of the dragons were much easier to take down once the second squadron began working together, and they moved on to the Dementors. The Dementors were very difficult to stop, because it was difficult to come up with a memory happy enough to do what they needed in the heat of battle. It was such a challenge to come up with happy thoughts however, Ron thought of the very first ride to Hogwarts, when he met Harry, and Hermione- his two favourite people in the world. The patronus forms that appeared were truly amazing, an eagle, a tiger, a cat and many others.

The second and third waves of the attack were in full swing, and many members of the Order were engaged in duels with Death Eaters as the aerial squadron worked on the different creatures littering the grounds. Many had fallen, but many still remained.

Ron spotted Lucius Malfoy on the ground, right as the Death Eater pointed his wand at him and began to mutter a spell. Ron never found out exactly what happened after he was hit by a bright yellow curse because he fell to the ground unconscious from above. What Ron never saw was that as soon as Lucius began saying the curse, a green light struck Lucius from behind, and he fell to the ground dead. Behind Lucius, and shaking uncontrollably, was none other than Draco Malfoy.

Harry Potter had never been more terrified in all of his life. When he stepped out with the Aurors onto the Quidditch pitch, curses in all sorts of shades of light were flying in all directions. As Harry made his way past the front line of his squadron, he saw Fred and George carrying Hermione on a stretcher back into Hogwarts. The emotions ran wild within Harry, he wanted to run after her, to protect her, to make sure she was going to be ok. As soon as the Aurors cleared the area, Harry knew it was time to take action. He swiftly took off at a run looking for Voldemort, wiping a single tear from his cheek , as he ran. He found after several minutes near the edge of the flaming Forbidden Forest.

"We meet again, Potter," spat Voldemort.

"For the last time. I hope you said your goodbyes," Harry retorted calmly.

Before Harry knew what was happening, Voldemort shot a spell at him which he dodged using a bit of wandless magic he wasn't even aware he possessed.

"Swift Potter, very swift," Voldemort responded with a little bit of awe behind his voice.

Harry didn't want to talk to Voldemort, he wanted to kill him. He hurled the killing curse at Voldemort, but it didn't work. Harry knew it would happen just as it had in his fourth year, and he quickly became terrified at the prospect of not being able to fight him off.

Moments later, Harry felt a presence around him, it appeared out of nowhere and Harry did not understand it, but the souls of those who had died had surrounded him, sharing their power before they crossed over into the next realm. Standing with him was Luna Lovegood, Seamus Finnigan, Padma Patil, Mad Eye Moody, Susan Bones, Hagrid, Percy Weasley and Severus Snape. As well several spirits appeared to help Harry as well, Cedric Diggory, Sirius Black, and Lily and James Potter. All Voldemort could see was a white aura around Harry, which he began to fear. Harry's wand fell to the ground and he yelled, "Avada Kedavara!"

That time, instead of a green light appearing, a white light shot out of the end of Harry's wand creating a blinding light for miles around him. The familiar sound of impending death surrounded Voldemort before he fell to the ground. When the spirits left Harry, he too fell to the ground. There lay He Who Must Not Be Named and the boy who killed him.

As the sun began to rise, the remaining Death Eaters fled, avoiding persecution after the war. The death toll was astounding, and all of the bodies littering the ground remained twisted and tormented. Harry had been discovered by the Forbidden Forest, just barely alive, and was immediately transported to St. Mungo's along with many others including Hermione and Ron.

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Thanks so much for my reviews thus far. Please Review... I really want to know what people think of this story.

Sarses :)


	3. Waking Up

Authors Note: I know your probably ready to kill me due to some of the characters I killed off, but I am sorry, but some of the "good guys" had to die, after all this was a war. And I still do not own anything. I also want to thank my two Betas. Mabel and Megan, I don't know what I would do without you two.

Her head was pounding, ready to explode and yet all the sounds around her seemed so far away. Her mind told her to move but she couldn't, no matter how hard she tried. She tried to speak, to yell, anything, but even that proved too difficult. In the distance, she noticed several lights, but they were too fuzzy and she couldn't make them out. She was suddenly overcome with a strong desire to get to those lights where she knew she would get some answers.

All at once the lights began to get closer and soon she was enveloped by them. She could feel the fuzzy shapes around her, but could not tell what they were or where she was. She let out a groan, and was startlingly aware that she could hear her surroundings.

She heard someone yell, "Come quick! She's waking up!" and she could hear the patter of several feet come storming towards wherever she was.

"Hermione, can you hear me?" someone asked.

She groaned once more, an indication that she had heard.

"Grab that pepper up potion, maybe we can get her back to complete consciousness."

She felt something cold press up against her lips and she opened them slightly allowing a potion to flow through her mouth and down her throat. She then closed her eyes for a few moments and opened them again only to discover everything was much clearer than before. She was shocked when she saw her parents standing in the corner of the room, Ginny sitting in a chair nearby, and three healers standing over her. She could not remember why she was in what was assumed to be St. Mungo's, but she knew she was about to find out.

She tried opening her mouth to ask, but discovered that her throat hurt beyond anything she could imagine and she was unable to speak. A look of panic and confusion crossed her face and Ginny looked to the Granger's for some confirmation before they nodded to her.

"Hermione, you've been unconscious for over a month now," she began. "During the battle, you were hit with a spell that nearly killed you and we're still not sure what it was. Hermione, we were afraid we were going to lose you."

Hermione looked at Ginny with realization and all of the memories began to flood back into her mind. She suddenly felt very scared.

"Ron… Harry…" Hermione managed to croak out.

Ginny looked down immediately before speaking again.

"Hermione…"

The tears welling up in Hermiones eyes began to spill over, flowing freely down her face.

"They're both alive, but just barely. Ron was hit with something and we're still not sure exactly what it was either. Draco took him up to the school when everyone else thought he had been killed after the spell and the fall from his broom. And Harry, well…" her voice drifted. "Voldemort is gone for good, but Harry did something we don't understand. A white light surrounded him and then it exploded in front of them. When the light vanished, they found Voldemort's remains, and Harry was lying there unconscious."

Hermione's emotions ranged with everything from shock, to heartbreak, to confusion. She didn't know what to do with herself with that knowledge. Her mother could sense this, as she saw all of the emotions cross through her daughters eyes.

"I think it's time she gets some rest, take this," a healer said to her as she tipped another cup to Hermiones lips. Darkness soon surrounded her once more and everything seemed far away again.

Hermione woke up later that evening and it was dark outside. Her parents had gone home for the night however she had a new visitor in the room, someone she never expected. It was none other than Draco Malfoy.

"Hermione..." he began and nodded his head.

Hermione was shocked. He had never referred to her as anything but Granger or Mudblood before. What could have happened to him that changed him so much?

"I feel like I owe you an explanation. I was the one who killed my father during the battle. He was a horrible man who took pleasure in killing innocent people and I was never like that. It was I in our sixth year that was supposed to kill Dumbledore, but I couldn't do it. I made several lame attempts that did nothing but hurt others. Snape had no choice but to finish the task I was assigned because he made an unbreakable vow to my mother. I have never had the desire to live the type of life of my father lived but I was forced to going along with it only to keep my mother alive He was a cruel and unloving man, he was cold and pure evil. I believe that instead of causing the problems for the would people should instead try and fix them. I just wanted to let you know the truth."

Hermione looked at this boy, knowing it had to be hard for him to reveal so much to her. She lost all of the hate she had ever felt for that boy. She knew deep down it was his father's abuse and his family's expectations that caused him to act the way he did for all of those years.

"I guess what I am trying to say is that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for the way I treated you, I'm sorry that all of this had to happen, and I'm sorry I couldn't stop my father from attacking Ron."

Hermione nodded in understanding, unable to speak, but it was clear that Draco understood her, and he nodded in return before he left the room. She used her time alone to gather her thoughts and decided that sleep would be a much better alternative to having to think about all of her grief. That night, she did something she had not done in a long time. Hermione Granger cried herself to sleep.

Several days passed and Hermione was still being held at St Mungo's for continued monitoring. Her voice had finally returned, and as soon as it did, she began demanding to see Ron and Harry, but for some reason they still wouldn't allow her to see them. After relentless requests and some acquiescence on the part of the healers, she was finally allowed to visit the unconscious forms of Ron and Harry as long as she was accompanied by Ginny, Fred and George.

It hurt her more than anything she had ever felt to see Ron lying on the hospital looking so lifeless, but still alive. His bruises had healed, as had all of his broken bones, but there was really no logical reason why he was still unconscious. The fact that no one was sure what curse he had been hit with gave them absolutely no clue to how soon he would wake up.

Hermione visited Harry next. He looked incredibly peaceful laying there and he almost had a smile on his face. The reason for him to remain unconscious after so long but nobody knew what caused him to lose consciousness in the first place.

So many memories rushed through Hermiones mind, from when they first met, to the Yule Ball until their final moments together. It was like everything was playing through her mind like a movie on the fast forward setting.

No one said anything as they made their way back to Hermione's room where a Healer examined her once more before pronouncing that she would be discharged. Ginny helped Hermione pack up her belongings, but Hermione wasn't sure where she would go. Her parents wanted her to go home with them but she refused, stating that she needed to stay in the magical world. Ginny offered Hermione a place at the Burrow, but Hermione also turned that down because she couldn't deal with all the memories of Ron, or Harry.

Hermione then decided that she needed to find a flat not too far from St. Mungo's so that she could keep watch over the two boys. Her parents wanted her to move back home, but Hermione refused to, she wanted to be as close to Harry and Ron as possible. Ginny took Hermione's belongings and apparated with them to the Burrow where they resolved to go to Diagon Alley where finding a flat would present no problem at all.

Several hours later, Hermione was settling into a small furnished flat in Diagon Alley, on top of a building near both Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes and Flourish and Blotts Book Shop.


	4. Fate

Authors Note: **This will be the last chapter I am posting on will however continue to write, and will be posting on portkey .org with the same penname (sarses) **I hope you will continue to read the story, and I still do not own anything.

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It had been almost two months since Hermione had woke from her coma and neither Harry nor Ron had woken up. They had been transferred into a private room big enough to hold two people, a room that at any given moment served as a memorial for the two unconscious boys. 

Hermione had been run completely ragged during that time. Between working at Flourish and Blotts, and monitoring the two boy's conditions, she had no time to sleep and barely ate a thing throughout the day. It was becoming quite noticeable as she began to lose weight, and she was on the verge of resembling a skeleton with the dark circles that were permanently etched under her eyes. As she arrived at St. Mungo's to start her shift, she was greeted by Mrs. Weasley.

"Hermione dear, go home and get some sleep. This isn't healthy, and please take this with you," she said as she thrust a large container containing one of her delicious home cooked meals for her to eat.

"Mrs. Weasley, I can't just leave them here. It's my turn to sit with them and I don't care how tired I am."

"Hermione, look in a mirror. You are not healthy. You have lost too much weight, and you aren't sleeping, go home. I'll stay with them," she responded before pushing Hermione out the door of the hospital room.

After she arrived at her flat, she put down the food container and slumped down on the couch. Minutes later, she was sound asleep.

Hermione awoke the next morning to an owl pecking at the window. Hermione had no idea who would be writing to her, and shook with a slight nervousness as she untied the letter from the owl's leg.

_Ms. Granger,_

_If you could please come and visit me_

_as soon as possible it would be _

_greatly appreciated. There are several_

_matters that we must discuss._

_Minerva McGonagall_

_Headmistress _

_Hogwarts School of_

_Witchcraft and Wizardry _

Although Hermione was curious as to what Professor McGonagall wanted to speak to her about, she did not feel that she was ready to return to Hogwarts. It was too soon; so many of her friends had died there and so many were still recovering from their injuries. However, she knew she had to go and quickly scribbled a response.

_Professor,_

_I am available to come speak to you _

_later today. I should arrive in_

_Hogsmeadee around 11am._

_Hermione Granger._

After changing into clean robes and fixing her appearance a bit, Hermione apparated to Hogsmeade for her walk up to Hogwarts. She looked up at the castle in the distance, and the tears welled up in her eyes. There were so many memories surrounding her; spending time in Hogsmeade with Harry and Ron, the Shrieking Shack, helping Sirius' escape, and of course, the final battle. It was all too much, she couldn't go but she knew she had to. She said she would be there, and she was going to go in. She took small, tentative steps at first, eventually increasing them in size and speed. Before she knew it, she was walking up over the lawn, past Hagrid's old cabin, and through the doors leading towards the Great Hall at Hogwarts. Classes were currently taking place, so she did not have to worry about running into anyone she knew, and with quick steps, she headed straight for the Headmistress's office.

After guessing everything she could think of to move the Gargoyle guarding the entrance move away, the stairway finally appeared, not because she had gotten the password right, but because Minerva had come down to meet her. Together they went up to the office.

"Tea, Ms. Granger?"

"Yes please, Professor."

"Hermione, once a student leaves Hogwarts, they do not usually return, but Molly Weasley has informed me that you wish to complete your studies at the beginning of next year."

"That is correct Professor, but also if…" Hermione's eyes filled with tears again, and her lower lip began to quiver. "If Harry and Ron wake up, will they be able to return as well?" she managed to get out.

"Yes Ms. Granger, they too will be allowed to return, however, I suggest that you begin studying on your own now. The courses have become substantially more difficult since you left us, and I recommend you get a head start on these," she said as she handed Hermione five books that covered Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Arithmancy, Charms and Transfiguration. "You may also want to begin to look inside yourself to unearth what animal lies within you, as I will be coaching a select few students to become an animagus."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you Professor," and got up to leave.

"Oh and Ms. Granger," McGonagall called after her. "They will get better, don't worry about that. They will be back with you soon, I'm sure of it."

As Hermione walked through the main doors of Hogwarts, and took a detour towards the lake. Settling into the base of a tree where she, Ron and Harry always met, she stared off into space, and soon fell asleep.

_Hermione opened her eyes and she was no longer at Hogwarts. She was still asleep under the same tree, but in what appeared to be a Mediterranean Country. She was in a beautiful garden, with lush green trees, waterfalls, and fountains littering the landscape. She felt at peace in a situation she knew, under normal circumstances, would be incredibly frightening. _

_She got up from under the shade of the tree and began to explore the garden. It appeared to go on forever into the distance. After wandering for a few minutes she came upon three old women who beckoned her forward._

"_Hermione Granger, welcome," said one._

"_Who are you?" Hermione asked in a very curious manner._

"_We my dear, are the Fates. The Greek Goddesses of Destiny," said another._

"_Destiny… what does this have to do with me?" Hermione wondered._

"_Many years ago, I spun the thread of life for a young Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley. I am Clotho, whose job is to spin the thread of life for all, and I remember each one clearly," the first woman said._

"_I am Lachesis and as she was spinning the thread, I allotted the length of the thread. The length determines how long a person will live," the second woman said._

"_And my name is Atropos. It is my responsibility to cut the thread of life, which results in the death of the person," the third woman stated._

_Hermione nodded but still did not quite understand what was taking place around her._

"_Neither Harry Potter nor Ron Weasley were supposed to be injured in the second war against Voldemort, but due to circumstances that were beyond the control of even the Gods their life lines were shortened. Both are near death and although the threads of life were spun to be much longer than the years that have passed, it will not be possible for both to carry on. One will die from their injuries, and one will recover."_

"_Hermione, it is up to you to determine which one of them will continue on with their life, and which will have their thread of life cut short," Atropos stated._

_Hermione looked at them with tears of horror in her eyes and said "No! You can't make me choose! I can't. I can't. I can't."_

"_You must, for if you do not make a decision soon, both will die. You will have seven days to decide."_

_The fates then began to fade from view._

Hermione woke up with a start.

She was back under the tree at Hogwarts, and sat stunned for a few minutes. She began to cry, and cried harder then she ever had before, tears flowing freely down her face with no end in sight. She cried for hours that day never moving from the spot under the tree.

Eventually the tears began to slow down, and Hermione wiped her face with her hands, got up and walked through the darkness back to Hogsmeade to apparate home.


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